My invention relates to a tool for use by a screen installer when installing screening material into a frame.
The installation of screening material into the frames of window and door screens and in the panels used to screen lanais and swimming pool enclosures often involves many man hours of hand labor by screen installers.
In most cases, those persons who are skilled as screen installers use two tools. First, a knife to cut the screening material, usually plastic or synthetic rubber, to a desired size and secondly, rotatable screen forming wheel used first to press the screening material into the elongated grooves in the screen frame and then to force a length of synthetic bead into the grooves on top of the screening material and thus lock the screening material into the frame.
The use of two separate tools for installing screening material into screen frames is both inconvenient and time consuming. Tools can be out of reach, lost or misplaced, causing delays and irritation which add to the cost of the job.
I have invented a unique tool for use by screen installers which eliminates such delays and irritations and substantially reduces the time involved in installing screening material into screen frames. In addition the unique shape of my tool permits increased pressure by the screen forming wheel on the screen material and the bead.
Simply put, my screen installer's tool eliminates the need for two separate tools by incorporating into a single tool a retractable knife blade and a rotatable screen forming wheel. Its elongated tool boy is made of two mating elongated halves joined together by a pair of screws. Preferably the two parts of the tool body are made of aluminum or high density plastic and when joined together form an internal compartment which houses a slidable knife blade carrier and also a supply of extra knife blades.
The slidable blade carrier includes a finger-operable detent and pawl which permits the carrier's supported knife blade to move in and out of one end of the tool body from within the tool body's compartment and be locked into position either within the tool body or with the knife protruding from one end of the tool body.
An axle located at the other end of the tool body preferably supported on one of the body fastening screws supports the rotatable screen forming wheel. Because of an indented notch in the tool body which fits into the palm of the installer's hand, the screen installer using my tool is able to put additional pressure on the wheel to aid in forcing the screening material and also the bead into the grooves of the screen frame.
The detent is positioned so that it can be conveniently operated by a thumb or finger of the hand which grips the body of the tool without the necessity of re-positioning the tool regardless of whether the installer is using the knife or the wheel.